Due to launch in March 2018, Dunlop have just pulled the cover off their all-new SportSmart TT hypersport tyre.
Designed to meet the needs of riders on the very latest sportsbikes, it is aimed at people who want to use the same tyre for road riding and track days.
The ‘TT’ moniker does not refer to the famous Isle of Man road race, at which Dunlop has an illustrious history. Instead, it stands for ‘Track Technology’ as the tyre directly benefits from Dunlop’s experience in the FIM Endurance World Championship.
In this championship Dunlop recently developed a new motorsport polymer which offers both high grip and excellent durability. The new SportSmart TT uses a proven race compound formula which not only provides consistent performance, but also has a versatile operating range.
For an optimal contact patch size, Dunlop have employed an evolution of their famous NTC technology. The revised NTEC RT found on the rear tyre allows riders to fine-tune their pressures for track day use. Standard manufacturer pressures can be maintained for road use, but the contact patch size can then be safely increased by up to 24% when used on track.
“No other tyre manufacturer has completely replaced every tyre in their hypersport portfolio in the last year. We have the youngest and most innovative range in the market after an intensive year of launches. This shows Dunlop’s focus on developing new technologies that benefit every type of hypersport rider and proves our agility in transferring race winning learnings into our range quickly and effectively” commented Andy Marfleet, Marketing Manager, Dunlop Motorcycle Europe.
“These two technologies are key to the performance of SportSmart TT. When the tyre is fully unveiled in March 2018 we will reveal two additional technologies. The combination of these four innovations have resulted in the birth of a tyre which creates a niche of its own in the Dunlop hypersport portfolio. With four new tyres in the hypersport sector, we now truly have a tyre for every type of rider – whether on road or track.”
As of next year, Dunlop’s range will look like this:
- Professional Rider – D213 GP Pro – Launched Summer 2017
- Seasoned Track Rider – GP Racer D212 – Launched January 2017
- Experienced track rider with road use – SportSmart TT – Launch March 2018
- Road Rider with occasional track use – SportSmart2 Max – Launched March 2017
